THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

The famous story of the magic portrait that ages while its knavish subject stays young. With its witty dialogue and extravagant theatricality, Wilde's classic moral horror story reads beautifully aloud. If you've enjoyed the delightfully cynical cad, Lord Henry, impersonated by such actors as George Sanders, the youthful Sheen may disappoint you. He hasn't quite the technique to toss off the bons mots but makes up for it in passion and strong characterizations. His major achievement is his unique treatment of the narrative partly as melodrama and partly as fairy tale, a tone that matches, if not what the author aspired towards, what the author actually accomplished. The bridges of Boëllmann, Chabrier and Schumann piano music are perfectly apt. Y.R. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: MAR 97]